Vehicle containment barrier

Abstract

This invention, refers to a vehicle containment barrier for installation on expressways, motorways, and public ways to prevent accidents, and which has been designed to improve the characteristics of existing barriers, given the low elasticity module of the materials used in its construction, providing better shock-absorption in the event of collisions against the barrier and redirection of the vehicles.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of co-pending application U.S. Ser. No. 10/365,733, filed Feb. 12, 2003; which claims priority to Spanish application P20 020 0332, filed Feb. 12, 2002.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Today, vehicle containment barriers are being installed throughout the entire western world and consist of hot-galvanized steel sections; the section formed by the continuous element used most worldwide is referred to as AASMO-M-ISO-60 and is developed in the United States by the Bureau of Public Roads; in addition to this product, others are now available, notably a section referred to as section B (European) that offers the advantage of having a resistant module that is 35% superior with a similar weight (that is not produced in Spain).

Spanish invention patent no. 9101899 claims the right to a procedure for producing reinforced composite sections, with open and closed sections, and which includes the application pultrusion, reinforcement fibers impregnated with resin through a formed row, continuous polymerization of the entire structure and cutting of the section at pre-determined lengths. In addition to the reinforcement fibers, longitudinal reinforced elements are passed through the row; these consist in cords or continuous high-resistant and flexible strips bathed in resin, and which may be formed by steel, carbon, or similar wire strips.

BRIEF SUMMARY

This invention refers to a vehicle containment barrier for installation on expressways, motorways, and public ways to prevent accidents, and which has been designed to improve the characteristics of existing barriers, given the low elasticity module of the materials used in its construction, providing better shock-absorption in the event of collisions against the barrier and redirection of the vehicles.

It also improves maintenance conditions since the steel-reinforced composite material from which it is manufactured means that it requires practically no maintenance as a result of the effect of weather conditions.

This is manufactured from steel-reinforced composite products for installation on expressways, motorways and public roads to prevent accidents.

This kind of barrier is equivalent to barriers formed by linked horizontal sections secured at equidistance points anchored to the ground.

Horizontal section (1) has a “C” cross-section with ends (2) bent inwards with means of fastening to the vertical struts (3) using screws passing through respective holes. The cranked ends (2) have a metallic core (4) and the ridge of the arch has a half round steel core (5), manufactured by pultrusion.

The support struts (3) have a similar structure and configuration to that of the horizontal sections (1), and consist of metallic cores (6,8) and steel reinforced composite products and are also obtained by the pultrusion method.

The steel-reinforced composite product presents a low elasticity module and comprises fiberglass and isophtalic polyester resin or similar.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

In order to facilitate an understanding of the characteristics of the invention and forming an integral part of this descriptive report, we attach several diagrams representing, on an illustrative but not limitative basis, the following:

FIG. 1 This offers a perspective view of a section of vehicle containment barrier, in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 This is a section along trimming line A-B of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 This is a section along trimming line C-D of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DISCLOSURE

In general terms, the vehicle containment barriers the object of the invention constitute a specific application of the technology envisaged in the invention patent mentioned previously, since they are manufactured using composite materials formed by fiber glass and isophtalic polyester resin, although other types of fiber and resin may be used. The most noteworthy and key characteristic envisaged in this product is the steel casing incorporated in the body of the product in appropriate proportions; the incorporation of this is achieved by means of pultrusion, with the incorporation of steel in the course of the manufacturing process corresponding to the same. With the procedure for obtaining reinforced composite sections, in accordance with the Spanish invention patent mentioned previously, the composite elasticity module is improved and can multiply three-fold the module that only achieved, in the best of cases, 300,000 k/cm³, increasing this to be around 1,000,000 k/cm³. The aforementioned advantage makes it possible to use reinforced composite pieces as structural pieces since the good properties of the composite i.e. its light weight, magnificent performance against atmospheric agents and in aggressive industrial environments and excellent resistance to traction and compression, are now improved by its added rigidity.

All these characteristics make this technology appropriate for producing the vehicle containment barriers in question; these barriers are formed by linked horizontal sections secured by struts or support pegs arranged equidistantly and secured to the ground.

The horizontal section that actually serves as a barrier in a “C” cross-section with ends bent inwards and extended horizontally. The ends have a rectangular-section metallic core and the arch, or at least the arch vertex, has a half-round section reinforced with either steel or another similar material.

The support struts or pegs are also manufactured preferably from composite material with the same or a similar composition to the horizontal section of the barrier and are also reinforced with steel or similar material, and manufactured by the same pultrusion method. The struts or pegs may be manufactured with another form of reinforced composite, or another material, always aimed at improving its efficiency and safety to ensure compliance with the objective of the barrier.

The horizontal section may also have a composite cross-section formed by two or more linked semi-circular corrugated sections, as in the case of the conventional double-face corrugated section.

Making reference to the numbering used in the figures, we can see how the vehicle containment barrier proposed in the invention comprises horizontal section (1) with the “C” section and with its ends fitted with bent coplanar end points (2) with the means of fastening the barrier to the struts or pegs (3) that are secured to the ground every four or six meters. Whenever necessary due to the route of the road, shorter distances may be used between the struts.

At the ends of the semicircular sections of the bent end sections (2) of the longitudinal section (1) is a metallic strut (4) manufactured from steel or another resistant material such as carbon fiber or other similar materials.

In the manufacturing procedure shown in the figures in this example, the vertex of the longitudinal steel arch (1) also has a metallic strut (5) made from half-round reinforcing steel. If necessary, instead of there being only one metallic strut (5) on the vertex, two or more steel struts may be fitted in this area.

The barrier model is manufactured from any type of composite, with the appropriate fibers and resin components.

The bent section (2) of the longitudinal section (1) includes holes for fastening the barrier to the support strut (3); these are also manufactured from composite materials of the same or similar composition as the horizontal section (1) of the barrier and are also reinforced with steel or similar materials, with metallic struts (6) at the bent end points (7) of the arched cross section; there is also a metallic strut (8) on the vertex of the arch, as shown clearly in FIG. 4.

The specific section shown in the diagrams in this example of assembly, made both from composite and steel, achieves high levels of resistance, with a high resistance moment in both the tractioned and compressed areas; both present much higher values than the resistant module of double-face corrugated sections of existing barriers.

In one example of a specific produce manufactured in accordance with the invention, the deflector with a four-meter gap between pegs, due to the rigidity of this single-wave barrier, would be approximately a quarter of the deflection of the current double-face corrugated section with the same four-meter gap between the pegs. With a gap of six meters the value of the deflection is still lower than the current double-faced corrugated section with a four-meter gap. It is therefore totally acceptable to assemble barriers with a gap of six meters between pegs, with the envisaged single-face corrugated barrier structure.

However, the single-face corrugated barrier sections may be modified, thus yielding lower rigidity values and higher deflection values, whenever deemed appropriate by the competent technical and safety authorities in order to provide greater flexibility and elasticity to the barrier, which is perfectly achievable by maintaining the same construction design proposed and modifying the dimensions or using two juxtaposed corrugated sections with lower dimensions.

The barrier built in accordance with the invention also offers the advantage of providing shock absorption in the event of an impact, by deformation of the arches included between the half-round section of the vertex and the plates of the support areas. In terms of the configuration and structure of the struts or support pegs (3), it also achieves a high degree of accident prevention due to its curved-convex shape, eliminating sharp angles, in contrast to the “U” and “H” sections that have conventional support pegs.

Claims

1. VEHICLE CONTAINMENT BARRIER: this has been designed for instillation on motorways or public roads and is equivalent to the type formed by a linked horizontal section, secured to equidistant struts anchored to the ground, and characteristic because it is made from composite materials reinforced with steel or a similar product, presenting a low elasticity module, comprising fiberglass and isophtalic polyester resin (4,5,6,8) in appropriate portions and positions, with the unique feature that this incorporation may only be achieved by means of pultrusion.

2. VEHICLE CONTAINMENT BARRIER: according to patent claim 1, this product characteristic because the horizontal section (1) consists in a “C” cross-section, the ends (2) of which are bent inwards and extended; these incorporate a metallic core (4) and the arch, or at least the arch vertex, is reinforced with half-round steel or similar material (5).

3. VEHICLE CONTAINMENT BARRIER: according to patent claim 1, this product is characteristic because the support struts (3) are also manufactured from composite material of the same or similar composition to that of the horizontal barrier section (1) and are also reinforced with steel (6,8) or similar materials and manufactured by the means of pultrusion.

4. VEHICLE CONTAINMENT BARRIER: according to patent claim 2, this product is characteristic because the horizontal section has a cross section comprising two or more linked semicircular corrugated sections.

5. A vehicle containment barrier, comprising:

a body made of a composite material formed from fiber glass and an isophtalic polyester resin; and at least on steel casing incorporated in the body, wherein the body is formed and at least one steel casing is incorporated in the body via pultrusion, wherein the body has a generally “C” shape with the ends of the “C” shape bent inwardly.